The Tragedy of Nox
by SolStone
Summary: Daein is holed up in Nox. They are surrounded, and Sothe sees something that will set chaos free. Many pairings, but it is focused on Micaiah. Spoilers around 3-13 to 3-F.
1. Act One: Flash of Lightning

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

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He sat on the steps outside Fort Nox, not too far from the Daein-Begnion border. He fingered some knives, and sharpened one against the stone floor. Snow was falling softly and quietly into the night. Some younger army recruits, not too younger than him, were having a snowball fight. Older soldiers laughed at their younger comrade-in-arms frolicking in the white layer of cold snow. The green-haired man laughed to himself. A few years ago, he would have been out there with them. Some things have changed. He matured. He had to. Fighting with the Greil Mercenaries, fighting to liberate Crimea, fighting all of the time hardened him, and he wondered if Micaiah would still stay with him after the war.

He stood up, and swept the snow off of his hair and clothes. He turned around and solemnly ascended the steps towards the keep. He entered to see some of his friends standing around a fire, and his face felt the warmth of the fire as he approached. Edward was telling a joke, and the group laughed. Sothe waved as they called to him, and they knew that he was going to see Micaiah. He turned and ascended another staircase, an interior staircase, as he entered the bowels of the stone building. It was cold inside, not because of falling snow or harsh winds, because the warmth he received near a blazing hearth and friends was not present, and he shivered and clutched his cape close to himself as he walked down the hallway. He passed many open doors, some revealing soldiers lounging about their quarters, some revealing make-shift hospitals. No soldiers snapped to attention when he passed, as he was not the general, Micaiah was the general. He was her lackey, her bodyguard, her love. He strode proudly down the hall, walking towards her room, to see her.

He approached her door, when it swung open revealing Micaiah and Pelleas, walking down the opposite hall towards the war room. Sothe followed behind, but his boots made noise on the stone floor, so he followed behind so that they could not hear him. Sothe gagged every time that Pelleas gazed at her and when he would look away quickly afterwards. They entered the war room, where Tauroneo was arguing over the best course of action with another general. They fell silent when the king and Micaiah entered. They all rose from their chairs, and sat when Pelleas sat. Sothe took a seat next to Micaiah silently.

"Gentlemen, we have to find a way to stop the Apostle's Army before-" Pelleas began when he was interrupted by a brash general in red armor whose name was Ignatius. He was missing an eye, and had a large gash running down his cheek.

"With all due respect your highness," Pelleas nodded. "To stand against the Apostle's army would be suicide for anyone wearing an ebon set of armor! All they need are those mercenaries led by that Ike fellow and they could take all of the defenses from here to Nevassa and Marado!" Ignatius was out of breath having bellowed his vehement speech to the group.

"We have the best troops, the best weapons, and the best leadership since our founding father! We have to hold, and we will hold!" A wig and cape wearing noble shouted.

Sothe couldn't bear to hear the nobles, who have seen nothing of war, make foreign policy so lightly. He stood up and retorted, "Lord Buntett, have you actually seen the army out there? Have any of you actually seen what the Greil Mercenaries can do? Have any of you seen what happened to general Goran?" The room fell silent. Goran had defended the Oribes Bridge, but he was defeated, and had not been heard from since.

"You're right Sothe. Where is General Goran?" Tauroneo suggested.

Sothe replied bluntly. "Well, last time I saw him he was shot in between the eyes with an arrow, and he was missing an arm. And that was before General Ike got to him."

"You seem to take pride in the Greil Mercenaries, young Sothe. And it makes me wonder, whose side are you on?" asked another snooty noble.

Micaiah spoke up for Sothe. "Sothe served under them for a time, but he has not let me down in his whole life. I trust him with my life, as should all of you."

"I place my trust in Sothe too." stated Pelleas. And with that, the issue of Sothe's loyalty came to a close.

The one-eyed General Ignatius spoke up again. "Now what do we do about the defense of fort Nox? We are practically holed up here in Nox, almost surrounded. We have food and shelter, but we cannot easily reinforce this fort. I'm sure they will strike here next, as both the king and our General Micaiah are here. I'm sure they just want to finish us as quickly as possible."

The room fell silent. It was obvious that there was no easy way out of Nox, as everyone was stuck inside the walls and behind the gates. Pelleas spoke up from the cold silence. "Maybe we should all adjourn and ponder this ourselves. I think we all need to take a break. Plan on being back here at midnight." Micaiah turned to leave, and Pelleas followed her out.

Sothe rose to leave, but a general prevented him. The general, a trueblade covered in battle scars and cuts started, "Sothe, what is General Ike like? He seems formidable and commanding, but what is he really like? Does he have an exploitable weakness?" all of the generals were eyeing him intently. The trueblade slunk back into the shadows, awaiting Sothe's reply. The trueblade, called Agravain had red hair and his garb was all black. He had two swords sheathed at his side.

Sothe sighed and began. "Ike is unreadable. He has no definite strategy, as he usually just wings it. He does have a shrewd but apt tactician, Soren, who has never lost them a fight. Ike's mercenaries are practically unbeatable as a whole. They have almost every type of unit, and they're as close as family. The main threat is Ike, Shinon and Gatrie. Once they charge you, there's no turning back. Ike is a powerhouse in his own right, while Gatrie has armor as thick as a wall. Shinon has no cares for practically no one but himself, but he is the best sharpshooter and archer across Tellius. If he has you in his sights you are as good as dead. Ike also holds respect with the Gallian king, the kings of the bird tribes, the Crimean Queen, the Apostle, and everyone in between. The only weakness is if you could separate individual members. Shinon is a long-range combatant. If you get up close and personal, he won't be able to retaliate. Ike has one weakness. His only family is his younger sister, Mist. He is unstoppable and practically indestructible. If they attack Nox as a unit, we won't last the night. It would be endgame for us, unless a miracle happens."

The group of generals and nobles were utterly speechless. Agravain left to train. The one-eyed general and his staff left to check the watch, and the nobles slinked off to their lavish beds of silken linens. Only Tauroneo, Sothe, another general, General Cringely were left, and the commander of Castle Nox, Grayson. Cringely was a well built, and of average height. Cringely was a reaver, and he fought alone. He wore the trademark ebon armor, and he sported various axes attached to his raiment. He wore a long, thick cape of animal hide, and it was made from the laguz he had killed in battle. Every Daein soldier respected him like a vicious dog, and every laguz warrior hoped to rend his head off of his shoulders. Every night he was said to stalk the halls of the keep searching for the scent of the laguz in what could only be described as a lust for blood and death.

Grayson was the Daein cavalry commander. He had been trained under Tauroneo and he was in his mid-thirties. He was a gold knight wearing ebon armor with gold embroidery. He commanded the respect and love of his troops through his leadership and charisma. He wore no helmet; rather, he let his long dark brown hair wave in the turbulent breeze as he rode into battle armed with a sword he crafted himself and a pole axe. He was a clever tactician, general, and politician who had served since the late King Ashnard appointed him onto the court of nobles.

Cringely left the room sniffing the air; no laguz near the keep was safe alone. Tauroneo and Grayson exchanged uneasy glances at the other. They heard the heavy boots of the other general moving into the hall. They tramped into the night. The campfires would burn into the night, and he would still be prowling like one of the laguz he hunted so fervidly. Grayson spoke up. "Well, he certainly will be on guard duty tonight. I see no point in staying awake into the morning if he will serve for us." Tauroneo nodded and yawned. Sothe could not think of anyone but Micaiah, but he stayed to hear more on the war. He wanted to see Ike, to try and work something out. Grayson spoke up again, his voice filling the near empty room. "What should we do? I think the three of us are the only rational and competent people here."

Sothe retorted, "What _can_ we do? You two are generals, and I'm nothing more than a foot soldier."

"That's nonsense Sothe," replied Tauroneo. "You are an original member of the Dawn Brigade, and the personal bodyguard to Micaiah and King Pelleas. You have a high honor, and the respect that your standing commands."

Grayson continued, "I'll take my men out on a scouting expedition, to see exactly how far the Apostle's army has come. At least we know something: they have no direct quarrel with Daein." Grayson bowed slightly, gave a salute while clicking his heels together, turned, and exited the room swiftly with his cape billowing behind him. Tauroneo closed his eyes and began to sleep, and Sothe exited, heading towards Micaiah's room. He hoped hat he could see her before he tried to find Ike. He walked down the corridor with a slight spring in his step. The snow was falling harder than ever, as the cavalry prepared to go on what could be classified as a reconnaissance mission, but Sothe saw any direct contact with the Greil Mercenaries as an act of suicide.

He looked down the stairs and saw the members of the Dawn Brigade sitting around the fire, looking content and relaxed. Sothe turned and knocked on Micaiah's door, but he received no answer. He slowly opened the door, and crept inside. The door slammed due to the howling wind outside. He cringed as it shut, but he realized that someone was at the balcony. He walked forward hoping to join Micaiah, but he stopped dead in his tracks as his heart shattered at what, or who he saw. Micaiah and Pelleas were currently engaged in kissing the other out on the balcony. His arms were wrapped around her waist, and she was simply standing there with him wrapped around her. Sothe was so stunned and depressed that he could not do anything but stand there. It turned out that he was not her love, and he cursed and vowed that he would no longer be her lackey, her bodyguard while that weakling held on to her. They pulled back, and looked at each other before heading into the dark room. As they turned, lightning cracked the sky, and they jumped to see Sothe standing there, with his silver knife is his hand, and a grim and indignant look on his visage.

"Sothe, how long have you been there?" asked Micaiah still clutching Pelleas' hand.

"Long enough." Sothe replied simply but angrily. Micaiah looked down at her hand, and removed it from Pelleas' grasp.

"Sothe please, I don't-" Micaiah started, but Sothe cut her off.

"What is there I haven't seen? You love him, and not me. It's that simple." Sothe said while tightening his grip on his knife, which was concealed behind his back.

Micaiah said, "Sothe I don't-" but was cut off by Pelleas.

Pelleas spoke up. "Sothe, it is simple. Micaiah chose me, and you should try to accept that."

Sothe grinned, and replied simply, "And I've made my choice." And with that, he hurled his knife at Pelleas, who took the blade square in the chest. Pelleas clutched his chest with one hand, and with the other he summoned his dark magic and sent Sothe crashing through the door. Sothe stood up, and tried to gain entrance, but Micaiah called for help, and she blocked the doorway. Sothe turned tail and fled down the hallway.

Sothe jumped off the side of a wall to avoid a soldier, who ran right by Sothe, not knowing that he was the offender. Sothe ran down the halls, and tears began falling from his face. He wept as he fled, as he had just thrown his hopes for a life with Micaiah away at the point of a knife. Edward rounded the corner, and he called to Sothe. Blinded by anger and angst, Sothe mercilessly cut down the unaware member of the Dawn Brigade with a swift cut into the boy's neck. Edward fell to the cold stone floor clutching his neck. Appalled and confused, Leonardo just stood there watching the assassin hurry away. Sothe passed into a long corridor, without a wall on one side. He kicked Meg out of the hallway, so that she fell to her death from the fall. He shoved Laura out of the way, and cut Aran down too. Sothe jumped from the stairs and landed in a snow embankment. He got up and strode towards the gate. Just then, the cavalry returned, but their numbers were severely lessened. Grayson dismounted and approached Sothe, unaware of his traitorous actions.

"The Greil Mercenaries were the vanguard; they cut us down like an axe to a twig. It was a suicide mission. That one blue haired man cut down my senior command, and that red-haired marksman put an arrow in between the eyes of Ignatius." Grayson said with a sigh. He led his horse to the stable, and the survivors also followed their general. Sothe quietly stole out into the snow, and headed towards the fires of the Apostle's camp, carrying with him the internal layout, the secret of the blood contract, and the attack on King Pelleas. He sought vengeance, and he was determined to have it.

Micaiah held the dying king in her arms. His eyes ran her over, as his chest heaved. She had no staves, and she could only hold him tight. He started weakly, "Micaiah, do… do you l-love me?" Pelleas looked at her desperately. Micaiah could not deny how she felt and she decided that lying to him would be horrible.

"King Pelleas, I-I do not love you." She cried as she said this, knowing that he would lose the will to live if she rejected him.

He sighed, and breathed his last, but not before passing to her his royal ring, and weakly whispering, "Daein is yours now, since I cannot be yours." Pelleas, the orphaned, cheated child of unknown parents died alone, and unloved. Soldiers poured into the room, and saw the dead king. They stood there silently with bowed heads. Tauroneo and Grayson entered and Tauroneo pulled a sheet off of the bed and covered the dead king's body. He eventually spoke up. "Who was it Micaiah? Was it an assassin?" Everyone looked at her intently.

Micaiah stood there, withering under their collective gazes. She had to protect him, until she could apologize and tell him that she was his. "I only saw his in the flash of the lightning for but a moment. He threw his knife and ran."

The troops eagerly left the room in the hopes that they could be the one to find and punish the assassin. Tauroneo left slowly. Grayson and Micaiah were left alone. He spoke softly, as to not be overheard. "I will go and try to find Sothe, and try to recall him from his present course. Is there something I can tell him for you?" Micaiah saw that Grayson knew.

"Yes General Grayson. Tell him that Micaiah needs to speak to him." Grayson bowed and left, and Micaiah ran after him, grabbing him by the shoulder. "Tell him that… I love him, and I want him to return." Grayson understood now, and he bowed again and headed down into the courtyard. Micaiah followed him, but saw the remainder of the Dawn Brigade clustered around a body. The group was circled around Edward, whose neck was violently slashed, and he bled to death. Meg had also died. Laura was close enough to save Aran from his death, and he limped on a crutch supported by Laura who clutched his hand.

Upon seeing Micaiah, Fiona ran over to her, and hugged her tightly. "Micaiah, some murderer killed Edward and attacked Aran!" Leonardo was devastated by the loss of his friend, but the father figure of the group, Nolan, lent a helping hand. Nolan was dragging Edward's dead body out of the hall leaving a trail of blood behind him in his wake.

"I know. King Pelleas is dead." The group looked startled, and no one said anything for a long time. Nolan returned and broke the heavy silence. "Micaiah where is Sothe?" Micaiah quickly thought up a believable answer.

"I don't know. I think he went out looking for the assassin."

"Alone?" asked Aran.

"Yes," replied Micaiah.

Leonardo spoke up. "Come on Aran, let's go out looking for him and help avenge Pelleas!" Leonardo strung his bow and fingered an arrow. Micaiah feared for their lives, and hurried to sway them.

"No Leonardo, it would slow Sothe down to travel with someone. He likes to work alone. And besides, Aran is in no shape for stumbling and bustling about in the snowstorm."

"It's not a problem, I can still walk." replied the halberdier, shouldering his shield.

"No!" commanded Laura who still clutched his hand. "You are not leaving! You are in no condition for traipsing about in the snow. I won't let you go too far from me." Aran sighed, but decided not to leave Laura, as his leg began bleeding again, and they hobbled back to his room. Leonardo and Fiona walked off together, and Micaiah was left alone, as Nolan went to wash his hands of the blood. Micaiah walked up to the throne room, where she watched as Grayson's soldiers rode off into the night again, hoping that they would avoid another encounter with the Greil Mercenaries. Micaiah sat down on the throne and buried her face in her hands and cried into the night.


	2. Act Two: Red on White

i don't own Fire Emblem. Let's carry on now shall we?

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Ike stood at the edge of the forward camp, surveying the silent, snowy plains stretched out in front of him. About two miles from his camp was Castle Nox, where the Daein army along with its high command was currently residing. Their forward position had been attacked by Daein cavalry, and although they fought bravely, they were cut down. Ike had to admit that they were motivated, but they lacked skill and experience, as the army regulars had mostly been spent in the war with Ashnard. Soren had been planning the upcoming siege, but it was hard as he had no way of knowing what it was like inside the fortress. Ranulf offered to scout it out, but Ike refused to risk anyone's life. Besides, Ranulf's tail would be a dead giveaway. If Ike had to send someone, he would have sent Haar because he was a resident of Daein. Suddenly, the sky cracked apart with a flash of lightning, and Ike was able to see across the field. The field was devoid of Daein troops so Ike decided to scout the terrain. He motioned to his scouting group, and they advanced across the plain. The group was relatively small, consisting of himself, Ranulf, Shinon, and Gatrie. They speedily advanced across the plain, hoping to see what was going on in the enemy camp. If at all possible, Ike would like to come to terms with the Daein leadership, or at least be able to pass through Daein without having to cut their way through the country for the second time. They proceeded for a time, until Ranulf motioned for them to hide. They hid in a small thicket of trees, and watched a solitary figure begin to exit Nox. He was cloaked in a long black cape. Shinon notched his bow, but Ike had him stay his hand. Ike recognized the person. He and his group advanced out, and the lone traveler stopped in his tracks at the appearance of Ike.

"I was hoping that I could find you Ike. I have news, and the layout of the fortress." The stranger pulled off his hood, and Sothe smiled at Ike.

"I was hoping that we would not have to fight." started Ranulf.

"We are fighting. I am fighting against Daein now." Sothe said bitterly.

"What do you mean pup? Aren't you the little lackey for that Micaiah girl?" asked Shinon still training his bow on Sothe.

"I think I killed King Pelleas." Everyone, even Shinon was shocked. "I saw him with Micaiah. I'm done with them. Now, how about we level Nox and press on towards Sienne?" Sothe started towards the Apostle's camp, and the other four slowly followed behind bewildered.

The four men followed Sothe towards the Apostle's camp, and they wondered what had prompted him to turn against his own country, and his apparent love. Ranulf could _feel_ the tension and chaos seeping from Sothe's very being and he felt uneasy around the young rogue. Shinon kept an arrow notched, and Gatrie looked uneasily from his red-haired buddy to the young thief. Ike walked briskly and silently, keeping his own thoughts to himself. Ranulf tensed and turned around, reverting to his laguz form. The group readied their blades, as Daein cavalry once again issued forth from the gate. At their head was a single rider, waving his blade high above his head, and the other riders slowed to a halt not one hundred feet from the five professional soldiers.

"Sothe," Grayson called, "Micaiah wants to talk with you. It is rather urgent."

Sothe snickered. "Are you trying to lure me back to capture and execute me?" Ranulf slapped a hand to his face. How stupid could the thief be?

Grayson sighed. "I was hoping that I would not have to say it, but…" the gold knight pointed his sword at the young rogue. "Sothe, you are branded a traitor and conspirator against Daein for planning and carrying out the assassination of King Pelleas." Sothe spat at the mention of that name.

"So I killed the whelp." Sothe said triumphantly.

"Yes you did. Now, please, come quietly."

Ike stepped forward waving Ragnell. "Are you seriously going to try taking him from us?"

Grayson sighed. "That's what we are supposed to do."

"You can turn back." suggested Gatrie.

"I cannot disobey a direct order from our current leader. I fight for its people, who cannot defend themselves. My homeland has its protectors, and Daein now has me." Grayson looked back at his men, and signaled for them to charge. The Daein cavalry quickly closed the gap between the opposing groups, and they were about to crash upon the mercenaries when the mercenaries were joined by the rest of the Greil Mercenaries headed by Titania. The rest of the mercenaries joined the five, and they clashed with the Daein cavalry. Sothe mercilessly cut down any rider in his way as he made his way to Grayson. Grayson was watching the young rouge slash and cut his way through a slough of blood and bodies to the last Daein cavalry commander. Grayson readied himself. Instead of fighting honorably, Sothe just jumped up and pounced upon Grayson hacking through his armor frantically and furiously attacking the cavalry commander. Sothe was pulled off of the knight by Kieran who looked upon the rider with awe and respect. Sothe landed and stood there, as Grayson sat dying.

"You are Grayson?" Kieran asked. Grayson nodded. "You served with Geoffrey before the war. What happened?"

Grayson answered weakly, "Ashnard saw my skill, and he brought me to Daein where he pressed me into service. He saw my skill, and he took Duke Renning and me…" Grayson turned to Sothe. "She loves you; Micaiah loves you Sothe." Then Grayson swayed in his saddle, clutched his sword to his chest, and fell sideways from his horse, staining the white snow with the blood of a Crimean. Kieran bowed his head out of respect, and Sothe was reeling from what he said. The mercenaries wandered back to their camp, and Sothe followed them, not knowing whether he should follow his heart, or follow his rage and hatred. The Daein cavalry had been cut down in the fields.

The mercenaries returned to the base camp, and Sothe immediately began pointing out every last detail of Castle Nox to Soren and the generals. Skrimir could hardly contain his excitement at the prospect of ripping apart the Daeins, and no one dared to tell him to calm down. Even Tibarn was eager for a good scrap. Sothe had pointed out side entrances into the castle, where small groups of laguz warriors could sneak through and enter the castle through the sides. He pointed out the fact that they had ballistae, and the flying units should be held in reserve until the archers had been eliminated. However, Skrimir would allow for little treachery, and Tibarn actually agreed with the young lion about a quick, hard frontal attack. The one thing that the beorc and the laguz could agree on was the fact that Daein would cease to exist after this battle.

A lone Daein cavalry rider slowly rode back to Nox, where he gained admittance into the castle. Everyone turned up to see him dismount, with Grayson's body. Everyone was shocked to see him dead, and they were appalled to hear the last word the soldier ever spoke, "Sothe," as the soldier saluted weakly, and fell to the ground.

Everyone turned to Micaiah who hardened her heart and simply said, "Grayson did his duty to Daein, we must do ours. To stations! The enemy is not too far off!" Hesitantly, the soldiers broke ranks and scattered themselves around the fort, hoping for a miracle from the Maiden of Dawn. She retreated deep into the fort to find her friends. She suddenly could not see where she was going, and she collapsed to the ground. Her mind's eye awoke, and she saw many things.

She was floating around the grounds of Castle Nox. Snow was still falling, but it fell harder. It was quiet. Micaiah went towards the entrance of the fort, and she gasped. The ground was tainted red, and littered with corpses of dead Daein soldiers. She felt tears roll down her eyes. She continued up the stairs, and the faces became more familiar. She saw Tauroneo lying dead, a large gasp cut across his face, as if he tried to shave with an axe. Volug lay upon the stairs too, and he lay dead with an arrow piercing his eye. She saw Zihark also, his throat had been bitten into, and his entire face was covered in his cold red blood. As she climbed higher the faces grew friendlier. Fiona and Leonardo lay not too far apart, and their hands reached for each other even in death. Leonardo had been shot through the heart, and Fiona had gashes along her back, where a large hawk ran its talons. Aran lay dead, leaning against a pillar, with a sword sticking out if his chest. Laura lay against him, as if she were sleeping on his shoulder, with her chest ripped open. Then, at the top of the stairs was Nolan, who was missing an arm. Sothe was there too. He was dead, with an arrow in the back of his head, and blood seeping out of his eye sockets.

Micaiah heard footsteps on the cobblestone, and she turned to see lights. She was surrounded by her friends, who were all still alive. She was in a hospital bed, with warm sheets, and the smell of fresh, crisp cinnamon filled the air.

"Whew! For a moment there we though you had been taken too!" exclaimed Fiona, with a relieved grin spreading across her face. Leonardo was next to her, and the rest of the Dawn Brigade also.

"No, I'm not leaving all of you." Micaiah said weakly. Her eyes adjusted to the light, and she saw that dawn was not too far off. "Look!" as she pointed frantically towards the rising sun. "It is morning now, and they will attack soon." Nolan suddenly ran into the room, with snow in his hair and his axe in hand.

"They are already here Micaiah." Nolan said panting, and the whole group rose and ran out into the courtyard, where they saw a mass of soldiers of every race, country, and color lined up ready to fight.

Micaiah waved her arms rallying the troops and signing formations. "It all comes down to this." Leonardo strung his bow and notched an arrow. "For Pelleas!" Tauroneo took his spot with Zihark and Volug at the lower stairs. "For Daein!" The Daein troops cheered, and gave their final huzzahs.

Micaiah went towards the gate, and looked out to see a small delegation approaching Nox. Micaiah called for some guards, and she exited along with Tauroneo, Zihark, and Nolan. They walked out to a small hill, where a small group of allied forces sat waiting. At their head was the Apostle herself, Lady Sigrun, Skrimir, Ranulf, Shinon with his bow notched, and Ike with Ragnell resting on his shoulder.

The two groups stared at each other for awhile, not knowing how to begin.

"It's nice to see you Zihark, Tauroneo. I'm glad that you both have been well." Ike said lending them a hand.

"Ike it's been too long." Zihark replied, smiling and shaking his hand.

"Ike, you are becoming more like your father every day. I see him in you; his spirit lends you strength." said Tauroneo, shaking the younger man's hand.

Skrimir rolled his eyes at the sight of trivial beorc formalities. "Do you beorc ever stop talking? Aren't we at war with you? Shouldn't you be worried that I'll rip your heads off?" The Daein guards readied their weapons, but they were rooted to the ground in fear.

"Lady Micaiah, isn't there a way to avoid this bloodshed? Why will you not let us pass?" asked Sigrun.

Ike turned to Micaiah, and gestured towards his army. "Micaiah, surely you realize the futility of the situation. You have four nations lined up at your door, and you are still intent on fighting? My mercenaries could take this fort any day. My friend, you have entered a war you are unable to win."

Shinon rolled his eyes. "Ike, you Skrimir and I could take this fort by nightfall!" Skrimir grew proud at the though of being considered one of the strongest warriors in the camp.

Micaiah could not help but stare at Ike. He was tall, handsome, rugged, and very commanding; he was quite the opposite of Pelleas. She could still not believe that the poor fragile Pelleas had kissed her! She was appalled by the though, and surely would have smacked him if Sothe had not beaten her to it. Sothe… where was he? "Sir Ike, where is Sothe?" Micaiah spoke up.

Ike answered bluntly, "He is not with you, so he must be with us. I was actually quite surprised to see him alone, separated from you." Shinon tried to hold back his laughter, but he burst out laughing mockingly, and he had to receive a punch to the gut from Skrimir to cut his outburst.

Skrimir cut the beorc discussion short. "So, are you going to surrender or are we going to have to fight out way to the border?"

"We will stand by our king's last wish, to defend the sovereignty of Daein. There is an unseen force that compels us to stop you here. We cannot fail. For the people of Daein we cannot fail." Micaiah walked back into the fort, with her vassals trailing behind her. As the gate was closing, a deafening roar arose from the opposing camp, to which it was joined by the roars, growls, guttural exclamations, and war cries from the allied army. Then the soldiers heard a large pounding of feet. The enemy was charging Nox.

When the guard of the allies' prison tent came back, he discovered that the only prisoner had escaped. Sothe was on the loose, and his tracks led towards Nox.

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Alright. That went well. [Please] review.

Until next time... oh btw, lots of deaths next chapter...


	3. Act Three: Groaning Gates

Here is is, the first of [at least] two big battles. This is basically 3-13 in-game. I added the gate thing for drama. And there are character deaths, both OC and 'real' characters. Do enjoy.

Good songs to listen to, or what I listened to while writing: Indestructible by Disturbed. Various Dragonforce. Hooray for metal when reading clashing metal blades.

BTW, Happy Veteran's day. Or not, if you've lost a loved one. My condolences if you did. I figured that I'd put up the fighting thing on for Veteran's day, as many Daein veterans die here...

I don't own Fire Emblem.

* * *

It was over almost too fast.

The Daein army crumbled before the advancing army of the Apostle. The Daein troops that remained alive in the killing fields fled inside Nox, as a battle out in the fields was suicide for the Daein regulars. The battle took a turn for the worse when Cringely was slain. He was the largest obstacle in the allies' path. No laguz dared to challenge him, as he reeked of rotting and dead laguz. Eventually, Skrimir himself came out and leapt upon the reaver. The lion prince's speed was overwhelming. Cringely fell to the giant red lion, as his jugular was severed by large lion fangs. Skrimir roared and the laguz wing of the army began moving with revitalized vigor and fury. They fell on the Daein troops hard and fast, and within minutes they had repaid for their losses at the Ribahn River in blood. The castle gates were shut in front of the faces of the allies. Skrimir and his forces withdrew out of arrow range. Ike and the Greil Mercenaries advanced alone.

"Alright Ike, do your thing." Skrimir roared.

"No one go dying on me, we still have a long way to go. Move out!" Ike bellowed. And with that, the Ike swung Ragnell and they advanced towards the fortress. Tibarn, Janaff and Ulki dropped Gatrie, Shinon and Boyd behind the castle walls, and they quickly secured a small tower, from which they let the rest of the mercenaries in through a postern gate. The mercenaries flooded the area, and they made their way over to the main gate. Ike pushed both of the great doors ajar, and they swung open with a massive roar.

Laguz warriors poured in the gate, and the inner areas of Nox had been cleansed of Daein soldiers. Skrimir clapped Ike on the shoulder, smiled, and ran off towards the rear to receive a messenger from his uncle. Ike ordered the laguz into formations, and Soren directed them to strike. The main gate was breached, and the mercenaries moved towards the inner gate.

Micaiah rallied the rest of the royal guard, her own retinue, and the Dawn Brigade. She swiftly led them out into the main courtyard. They quickly secured the area.

The gate pounded.

Soldiers readied themselves.

The gate quivered with anticipation.

Micaiah gulped and clutched her magic tome tightly.

The gate groaned under its stress.

The troops fell back to the fortifications.

The gate twisted its metal face in agony.

Micaiah scanned the soldiers for any familiar faces. She saw Tauroneo and Volug at the stairways. She saw Leonardo and Fiona together by a ballistae. She saw Aran, Nolan, and Laura by the other ballistae.

The gate buckled; it was about to shatter.

Zihark stood next to Micaiah where Sothe usually stood. Jill had deserted Daein. No one knew where she was, but Zihark told Micaiah that she was probably with the Crimeans, fighting with Haar.

The gate cracked; its hinges were separating from the wall.

A hooded Daein soldier near the upper stairs cried out in a loud voice, "For Daein!" The Daein guard gained heart, and they joined him in a silence rending war cry. Micaiah couldn't help but notice that his voice sounded familiar, but it was filled with a sad melancholy.

The gate crashed to the ground, and was trampled under the pounding feet of the allies. When the dust cleared, Ike, Soren, and a large unit of laguz were standing there, battle hardened and ready.

"Last chance Micaiah. Save the lives of your friends. Be rational. Be reasonable. Be anything but a pawn to a dead king. Don't be a chess piece in a game of lordlings. Choose a side. Follow your heart. You know that this war is unjust, yet you stick to your dead king like sap to a tree." Ike bellowed, his voice reverberating off of the walls.

"You are a pawn too Ike!" yelled Micaiah. "They are using you! Who are you sided with?"

Ike chuckled. Soren rolled his eyes. "As Soren would say, I follow the highest bidder." Ike laughed to see Micaiah speechless while Soren simply smiled.

"No, I'm here because I believe in the laguz and the beorc. I believe that we can coexist peacefully, no matter how long we have to wait. One day, laguz, beorc… and the Branded will all live together. Mark my words. I'll see to it that we make it to Sienne alive, and I will cut down anyone in my way. You've been warned." Ike pointed his blade at the inner sanctum of Nox, the door behind Micaiah. "CHARGE!" he roared like a lion.

Every laguz and Ike ran towards the Daein lines. Agravain leapt from the wall and drew his two blades and he clashed with Ike. Ike was the stronger and more experienced fighter, but Agravain had two blades, and he was quicker than Ike.

The laguz swarmed the fortress. They pounded up the stairs. They leapt on top of Daein soldiers, and Daein soldiers speared them. Micaiah turned away from Ike's heated battle to survey the field. Her troops were holding, but they would not last indefinitely. Their numbers were too few, and they were cut off from other areas of Nox. Zihark drew his blade and jumped from the ledge to assist at the front stairs. Leonardo was soon spent of ballistae bolts, and Fiona ferried him to the other side. Nolan, Aran, and Laura traded places with the duo.

A small horn blew, and the combatants stopped. They turned to see the Greil Mercenaries form up at the gate, as they reunited with Soren. As a unit they advanced with a war cry, and Ike joined them after injecting Ragnell into Agravain's chest. "Everyone, stay back! They are too good for us!" Micaiah shouted, wishing that her voice carried over the fight. But the chaos, the chaos was deafening. No one could hear anyone else above the pure chaos imbued by war and death. Order was sleeping far away in a tower, while chaos was awakening in a medallion.

Gatrie and Shinon advanced up the left with Rhys, while the main force headed up the right flank. Ike headed straight for Tauroneo's defensive line. A Daein soldier leapt at Ike, but Ike swung his sword and slit the man's belly open. He advanced to Tauroneo, where he cut down the general next to Tauroneo. Ike passed Tauroneo without a second glance, only for a giant tiger to leap up and crush the silver general of Daein, killing him in a few seconds. Micaiah looked in horror as the last living member of the Four Riders of Daein was crush and the life snuffed out of his sturdy frame. The tiger, fangs dripping with blood, leapt up the stairs, but he was killed by Zihark.

Micaiah heard a scream, and she turned to see Fiona fall from her horse. She landed on the ground, but was swiftly swept into Leonardo's arms. He helped her to the rear of the lines. Micaiah saw a red-tailed arrow protruding from her chest. Leonardo conveyed her to a healer and notched a yellow-tailed arrow to his bow. With a grim scowl he headed down the stairs, but Micaiah impeded him. "Leonardo, don't throw your life away. You are not strong enough to best him." Leonardo pushed her out of the way as he walked past. Zihark grabbed the boy and pushed him back to Micaiah.

"Please Leonardo, she needs you. Don't let the same arrow take two lives." Leonardo spent the arrow on a hawk laguz, and turned to comfort Fiona. He held her hand as she screamed when the arrow was yanked from her chest.

On the other flank, the Daein units pulled out, as they knew that they could not combat laguz, and the Greil Mercenaries squadron of Boyd, Mia, Mist, and Rolf followed by Titania and Oscar. Laura and Aran pulled back into the safety of the upper levels. Nolan turned to follow, but he was struck in the chest with a green-tailed arrow, and he stumbled back into the wall. Micaiah screamed for him, but she could not be heard over the deafening roar of the chaotic battle. He got up with effort but he was struck again, this time with a short axe. He stumbled, but he fell over the side of the ramparts and fell into the mass of bodies, to join them in death. The founder of the Dawn Brigade joined the last Daein rider in death. A mass of black armor littered the ground. Daein was being beaten into the ground. Micaiah shed tears for her lost comrades, as a high-pitched scream rent the air. Some Gallian soldier had hurled Lord Buntett to his death from his linen bed.

Then large wings were heard, and the laguz and mercenaries retreated when Prince Goldoa shot a beam of energy at the fortress. It was over, but Daein paid a heavy price, losing their king, their generals, the leader of the Dawn Brigade. Daein had fallen today; Daein had fallen farther into a hole that would continue to pull them deeper in as the war carried on.

* * *

Alright. I enjoyed that. I had to redo that a couple of times, as I thought there should be some dialogue. Then I though up the whole gate crashing sequence. Then I added the chaos part.

So, do review please. Reviews motivate me, but I won't stop writing because I don't get any reviews. As long as my hit counter goes up I'm good.


	4. Act Four: Burial of the Brave

I switched up my syntax at the beginning of the parts for some change that we can believe in, [pun intended], for rhetorical effect. My APEL&C teacher would be proud.

Enjoy.

I don't own Fire Emblem.

If I did...

* * *

Ike was frustrated. Ike was angry. Ike couldn't believe the power of Prince Kurthnaga. He blew apart Nox in a single breath of his power. Kurthnaga might have well sneezed as far as Ike was concerned. Ike shuddered to think of what would have been if that were King Goldoa. Ike sighed. Every nation was involved now, to a certain degree. Crimea, the Apostle's Begnion, Phoenicis, Kilvas, and Gallia were allied against Daein and the Senate's Begnion. Goldoa was being dragged into the fight, as Kurthnaga sided with Daein, and Ena with Crimea. Ike sighed again. He couldn't believe that Daein was still fighting. They had retaken Nox after his troops fled from the black dragon. Not only had Daein retaken Nox, but they had taken the fields surrounding it, as far as Tor Garen due to reinforcements from the capital.

"I guess I'll just have to take Tor Garen again." said Ike. He was, once again, the commander of a Begnion-Crimean army heading towards Tor Garen.

The battle had not been a complete success. Shinon had broken his shinbone, and he was determined to let everyone hear of his agony. Rhys said that he would be better by tomorrow, if no one killed him due to his screams every time he tried to walk. Gatrie suffered a concussion and he would be out of the next battle. Titania's horse had been shot by a ballista bolt, and it could not walk. Brom was in no condition to fight, as his daughter was dead.

Tanith had suffered a blow to the head a few days earlier, and she was in the hospital wing still. Sigrun would lead the Begnion forces on the morrow, and Ranulf and Skrimir were both rearing for another brawl. Tibarn and his forces were as ready as ever, though Reyson's fragile body could not keep up with his zealous spirit. Makalov had died earlier that week when a boulder crushed his skull. Haar and Jill were reunited again, and both of them were ready to fight.

Defeat had been stolen from the maw of victory. Had Elincia, Ena, and Kurthnaga not arrived when they did, the allies would have won the battle. Ike was not furious, as more bloodshed had been averted, but Skrimir and Tibarn were enraged. They had hoped for a complete victory, but they had to retreat, as Tibarn was in no shape or mood to fight a black dragon by his lonesome.

Ike turned and walked through his camp, again. He passed the tents of his mercenaries. Mist and Boyd were out walking on the other side of the tent, their shadows intertwined. Mia and Rhys were sitting together holding hands on a bench in the kitchen, and Oscar was cooking dinner with some help from Astrid. Ilyana was stuffing her face with anything dubbed 'food', while Gatrie watched her in horror. Ike turned to see Kieran and Marcia sparring to his right. Kieran was trying to hit Marcia, but her pegasi was too fast for his axes. Kieran was fuming after a few attempts, but his anger dissipated when Marcia came down and pecked him on the cheek. They then took a stroll towards the kitchen together. Ike shook his head and wondered how they ever got together. He sighed and continued his walk. Ranulf ran by him frantically, with Lyre hot on his tail. Mordecai and Kyza were laughing at Ranulf's misfortune, while Lethe just shook her head. Danved and Nephenee were sparring again, while Heather tried to swindle money off a Begnion noble who was infatuated with the blonde rogue. Rolf was out testing his bow, and Soren was trying to concoct another winning strategy. This time he would have to deal with a Goldoan dragon. Ike walked by the Apostle's tent, where Sanaki and Sigrun were having tea. Ike shook his head at the formalities observed even in war, and walked over to where Skrimir was training.

"Care to join me Ike?" asked Skrimir, full of vigor after besting another tiger soldier.

"Sure, why not?" Ike said smiling. Skrimir form shifted, and Ike pulled out his Ettard, not wanting to cause too much harm on the future king of Gallia by using Ragnell. Skrimir roared and charged at Ike. Ike narrowly rolled out of the way. Skrimir skidded in the snow and turned, ready for another run. Ike side swiped Skrimir as the red lion ran by. He was undeterred from the blow, and charge Ike again. Ike was knocked over by the rushing wall of red fur. Ike stood up in time to dodge another run. Skrimir's jaw clamped shut next to Ike's face. Ike swung Ettard and got a good hit on Skrimir's flank. The laguz warrior did not like this, and he reverted forms.

Ike was startled to see Skrimir run at him in human form. Ike prepared himself, and swung Ettard. The sword sliced above Skrimir, who had rolled underneath the blade. Skrimir punched Ike in the chest, and Ike dropped Ettard on the ground and a fistfight ensued. A small but growing crowd gathered around the two generals, and soldiers began exchanging coins. Sanaki frowned on this unwarranted display of masculinity, as she wanted peace in her army. Skrimir threw Ike around the field. Ike ran back and jumped on top of Skrimir's back, and the two of them fell over onto the ground.

They got up panting for breath. They then smiled and had a good belly laugh to see the other covered in snow, twigs, and mud. They walked off together towards the kitchen to partake in some steak like two buddies. Sanaki shook her head and returned to her tea. Despite the army's losses, they were in high spirits, and made merry in light of a break in the tension.

* * *

Micaiah was distraught. Micaiah was in disbelief. Micaiah's cheeks were pink, and her eyes were tear-stained. She could not cry anymore, as her tears were spent that night. She had witnessed the salvation of Daein's fledgling Nox garrison. But, she had to bury her friends. That she could not take. Soldiers dug mass graves for the dead in Nox. Everyone went into these tombs. Nobles and soldiers, laguz and beorc, generals and privates all were laid down in eternal sleep together. However, King Pelleas received a proper burial. He was buried deep in the side of the mountains underneath Nox. Edward and Nolan received separate tombs, as they were members of the immortal and illustrious Dawn Brigade. Tauroneo was buried in the mass graves, as he served in the army, fought in the army, and died in the army with the men whose respect and adoration he had commanded all of his life. It was his last wish to be buried with the troops he died with. The only general left in the Daein army was Micaiah. She was the default general for every problem, from burial rights to sleeping quarters. She was tired beyond exhausted. Still, she persevered for Daein.

She eventually collapsed in the throne room, too tired to move. Her thoughts drifted to her friends. Laura and Aran were both alive. They seemed to be doing well. Volug couldn't complain; and he wouldn't if he could. Nailah and Rafiel rejoined the group so that was a bonus. Zihark was still up and kicking, though he was hesitant to fight against the laguz. Leonardo and Fiona were doing better. Leonardo had not gone out to seek revenge, and imminent suicide, by trying to kill Shinon. Fiona was recovering rapidly with Leonardo at her side. They were all that she had left. Sothe had abandoned her, and she could only think of him.

Then, a new though struck her suddenly, as a stranger knocks on a door at midnight. Who would rule Daein afterwards? Pelleas died heirless. If the people were to choose, they would probably pick her, but then she would have to marry for political reasons and the like. She could ask Sothe to join her, if she could find him and sway him. There were no nobles left that she could think of. She would never marry a duke of Begnion, after what they did to Daein. No laguz would marry a branded. The only other nobles she knew were in Crimea. Count Bastian came to court to recognize Pelleas, but he had sworn his eternal, undying, and never-ending most heartfelt love to a Lady Lucia. Queen Elincia was obviously in love with a Sir Geoffrey, and he with her. Micaiah sighed again. Sothe left her, the Black Knight left her, Pelleas was gone, and she was alone, all alone on the throne in Nox Castle. Grayson, Tauroneo, and Nolan were all dead.

Then she thought of Ike, the dashing, rugged, mercenary hero of Tellius. Ike was no noble, but he held immense prestige and loyalty from every country in Tellius. His swagger, his pose, his bluntness and lack of etiquette set him apart from every noble who came calling on her. Ike was a general, he was a hero, and he was savior to countless people. He was a legend on Tellius, and would not be forgotten after he fell claim to old age. But he was her enemy, and she had no way of knowing how he felt, as she could not see him, let alone get anywhere close to him.

Ike's words rang in her ears. What was she fighting for? Who was she fighting for? Wasn't the blood contract revoked, as Sothe killed Pelleas? Micaiah would not serve the Daein nobility. She didn't hold allegiance to a dead king. She served the people. She defended the people of Daein, until she was unable to.

The cold stone walls harbored no comfort, so she wandered the halls looking for a familiar face. Soldiers saluted her as she passed in the hallway. She was the highest ranking member of the Daein elite now. She heard feet behind her, and turned to see Volug following behind her. She went towards the galley when she saw a troop of armed Daein soldiers run into the galley. Volug dashed past her barking mad, and she tried to keep up. She turned the corner, and saw Queen Nailah, Rafiel, and Volug surrounded by spear wielding Daein soldiers. They all looked relieved to see Micaiah.

A Daein captain asked, "Queen Micaiah, who are these sub-humans," at which Volug growled.

"Those are my guests, as is the prince of Goldoa. I would advise you against calling them sub-humans, as Queen Nailah is more than a match for any of you, not to mention our dragon friends." The Daein soldiers nodded, and resumed eating; casting wary glanced towards the laguz. Micaiah ushered the trio out, and conveyed them to her room. They sat down and ate together. Volug fell asleep on a sofa.

"What was wrong Nailah? Why did they try to attack you?" Nailah looked harassed, and she refused to answer.

"Micaiah, some of your soldiers were making rather… distasteful remarks about the sub-humans." Rafiel began. "And one of them made some… snide remarks about Nailah's… beautiful figure…" Nailah looked at Rafiel confused. Rafiel turned away blushing. Micaiah grinned.

"I don't think they referred to me as 'beautiful' Rafiel. I'm pretty sure they said something about a lascivious beast…" Nailah responded. Rafiel's white cheeks were red.

"Well, _I_ think that you are beautiful Nailah." responded Rafiel, summing up his courage to venture forth with his heart. She looked at him, or the back of his head, as he was still too red to look at her beautiful form.

Nailah, with determination and a hint of childlike nervousness on her face, crept up to him and put a hand on his cheek. He turned to her, and they both blushed to be so close to the other as their eyes met. "Thank you Rafiel." She leaned in close to him slowly, and he caught her drift. With a sideways glance at Micaiah for a moment, he also drew in to her, and their lips met. Micaiah quickly issued forth from the room, closing the door behind her on the two lovers. She sighed. Why was she so unlucky in love?

She then chanced upon Aran and Laura. They were walking in the hall ahead of Micaiah, and she ran after them. The duo was holding hands, while Aran still hobbled on a small crutch. Micaiah decided to let them be. She turned and headed towards the hospital. She wanted to check up on Fiona. She entered the officer's medical suite, where Fiona and Leonardo were. She was in bed, while he sat at the edge of the bed, with a chessboard in between them.

"Micaiah!" cheered Fiona upon seeing her silver-haired friend. Leonardo moved the chessboard and Micaiah ran up and hugged Fiona tightly. "Not so hard! I was shot remember?" Micaiah let go and she sat on the edge of the bed. Leonardo stepped out of the room to give them a chance to speak.

"How are you so lucky Fiona?" Fiona cocked her head to one side. "Leonardo. How are you so lucky? I seem to have no luck with guys. You're lucky to have him."

Fiona blushed. "Micaiah, I-I…" Fiona stammered. Micaiah laughed to see her stricken with embarrassment.

"It's obvious Fiona. Don't worry. He cares for you. He hasn't left your bedside since you were brought in here." Fiona sighed and sunk back into her pillow.

"Have you heard of Sothe?" Fiona asked.

"No…" Micaiah replied.

"Maybe you should just move on. He did."

"He kissed me…"

"Who? Sothe?"

"No Pelleas. That's why Sothe killed him." Fiona's eyes were wide with shock.

"Micaiah, you have got a following going. Soon you'll have that Ike dude at your feet too." Micaiah blushed. "Wait, you like him?"

"No, I just… I… haven't gotten to know him yet…" Micaiah started. "It's nothing!"

It was Fiona's turn to laugh. "Micaiah, what are we to do with you?"

Micaiah stood up. "I'll leave you with Romeo now." Micaiah walked towards the door. She saw Leonardo outside. "She's all yours." Leonardo entered the hospital, while Micaiah walked back towards the throne room. Perhaps she would have someone start her a fire in the hearth. She could find some blankets to cuddle up in. All she wanted was some nice guy to snuggle with into the night…

… and why couldn't she?

* * *

Ike was surprised at the frigid temperatures outside. His muscular arms were getting goose bumps, and he had to seek out Muston for a coat, as he owned no winter gear. He was appalled to see Mia and Rhys sharing a rather large coat, but he said nothing, as his teeth would have chattered. Ranulf ran by again, this time he had Lethe chasing after him. Ike sighed and slipped his arms into a large fur coat, and he looked out over the snowy fields. He looked out over the fields, and saw the Daein soldiers huddling around fires keeping warm. He though of that lonely silver-haired maiden, away in some hall of stone, surrounded by a warm fire. He could use a fire now. He could use some love. He was the savior of Tellius.

Why couldn't he find someone to love?

* * *

That's a wrap. I hope that people like the NailahxRafiel, as I thought it up at the last moment.

I'm clinging on to the weekly update thing, but you al lgot lucky with the extra post on Veteran's Day. Hoo-raa!

Alright, read and review. You all have been amiable so far, and I thank you for your help. And, sorry about Edward. Yes, he had to go, but I'm sorry for not stressing the significance of his death enough. I meant to, but... it didn't happen. Sorry. Next time, I'll let him live. Maybe.


	5. Act Five: Black, Red and Silver

_So, this should answer someone's question. _

_ Though, I will have a teaser of sorts when I get back that'll be a intro to the next battle. This tragedy is drawing ever nearer to a close, and the beginning of my next [GS] project. __I Don't own Fire Emblem._

_I named the chapter for the three main people that the chapter focuses on. _

_

* * *

_

_She recognized the area. It was right outside Nox, close to Tor Garen. She walked among the field, seeing statues of soldiers of every nation except Goldoa. Then she heard a twang of a bow. An arrow flew at her, and it stopped in front of her and blood began pouring from where it stopped. She was not hurt, yet her heart was bleeding. The arrow was fletched with red feathers. She turned to see Ike wandering the barren field, he saw her standing there. She called out to him, but he bowed his head, and strode off towards the east. Soon, he disappeared into the falling snow, and she was alone, with an arrow bleeding in the air. _

The next morning came. It was no dream. Micaiah looked out of the window and the soldiers were still burying dead humans. She was refreshed physically, but she was emotionally drained. She was still wrapped in the blankets from earlier, the fire was kindled in the hearth, but there was no guy next to her. She sighed.

She then heard rustling paper behind her. She turned, and there was a man there, rustling through papers. He was tall, in a hood, and many knives were at his side. Micaiah quietly tried to approach him, to see who it was. Then, her shoes clicked on the stone floor, and the stealthy man tensed and jumped onto the table and ran to the door. "Sothe!" Micaiah cried. The man burst out of the door, and made a quick turn to the left. She pursued him, swiping Thani off of the table.

The hooded Daein soldier ran off, as Micaiah ran after him. "Guards, grab that man!" Micaiah yelled. A soldier grabbed him, but was knifed in rapid succession. He crumpled to the ground. Two more solders succeeded in grabbing him.

"Who are you?" The guardsman yelled.

"No one." And with that, the two men were dispatched with secret knives.

Micaiah unleashed Thani on the man, and he was slammed into the wall, and slid down. Micaiah cornered him. "Sothe?"

"I'm not your dear lover lass." replied the man, not bothering to get up.

Her heart sank. "Then who are you?"

"Sothe."

"Really?" she reached for his hood.

"No, I'm the Fireman."

The Fireman tripped Micaiah with a spin, and leapt from the window onto a tent roof, and rolled in the snow to conceal him. He blended in amongst the cold soldiers, and stole off into the light. Micaiah sighed and went off to the kitchen.

The Fireman arrived at his base, where his master was awaiting him. "Did you dig up anything useful?"

"No. Pelleas is as dead as Ashnard, and Izuka is not there."

"Perhaps we should search Begnion."

"No. I know where he'll be."

"Oh really now? And where would that be?"

"One hundred thousand."

"Seriously?" the Fireman nodded. "Keep your secrets. How much to catch him?"

"It's a personal discount. Two thousand."

"Deal." And with that, the Fireman ran off into the snowfall, and the Arch sage returned to his prisoner.

* * *

Kieran had been up early. Training was a hard master. As much as he loved the army and his post, he loathed awaking up before the laguz to crack out ten thousand axe swings, ten miles of riding, and surveying his command. His command: half of the Crimean army. He was the deputy commander of the Crimean Royal Guard, not the Army General. That was Ike. Ike was capable, experienced, and well-supported. All Kieran had was his two legs and the four that he rode on. Elincia counted on him to lead in Geoffrey's place. "How can I possibly compare to General Geoffrey? He's my mentor, teacher, role-model-"

"Obsession, love, and brother. Did I get that all right? Or did I miss a title o Crimean Royal Knight Deputy Commander Kieran?" asked a sarcastic voice from behind him. Two hands covered his eyes. "Guess who?"

Kieran sighed. _How can she be so energetic?_ "Hmm. I wonder. Who has the courage to get so close to me while I'm holding my axe?"

She giggled. "You can't hit me anyway. I'm too fast for you."

"No you're not! I'm just as good, just as fast, and even stronger."

"Admit that I'm faster than you."

"Crimean knights do not admit defeat."

"Then I'm not giving in."

"Fine. You are faster than I. You are too fast for me, winged angel."

"You flirt." She then pecked him on the cheek and removed her hands.

"Marcia that is no way to act! We're in uniform! We're in the army! We're in the open! Someone could have seen!" Kieran panicked.

"I'm sorry. Elincia and Lucia will be sooooooo jealous that I'm kissing you and they are not." Kieran turned red at the laughter behind him. _Great._

He turned to see Marcia, Lucia, and Queen Elincia laughing together. "Kieran, I'm sorry, I'm in love with Geoffrey. Do forgive me." Elincia giggled.

"Yes your majesty."

"Kieran."

"Yes your majesty?"

"When Marcia comes up to you, you are to stop the formalities. I don't care if you two are together in the army. Now, if you are doing anything… untactful, then we will have issues. Understand?"

"Yes your majesty."

"Good. Here comes Ike. He'll get us on the move. Form up the troops Kieran."

"Yes your majesty."

Kieran replaced his red helmet, which matched the hue of his cheeks, and mounted his horse and rode to the front of his column while the three women laughed behind him.

* * *

Micaiah was sitting in the throne room, when the doors opened. A young man, in his early twenties entered. He was a dark haired man, with a moustache, and silver armor. Micaiah cocked her head to the side.

"I've seen that armor before. Who are you?"

The man knelt down and bowed. "It was my father's. He was a rider of Daein, and I have come to take his place."

"It can't be." Micaiah stood up.

"He never talked about us, my brother and I. Our mother left him after Josh was crippled. My father was a soldier, and I hear that he died as one."

"Your father was a great man, always there for me and Pelleas."

"Are you the queen?"

"No. I'm just a steward."

"No, the line is ended. The people will want you as queen. I want you as queen." Micaiah was startled. "Yes, you know what you are doing, that is a good start."

"Your name sir?"

"There is no need for formalities. I'm but a mere soldier."

"I know, but out of respect for your father, I want to knight you. Many nobles, generals, and soldiers have died. They need a leader. Will you accept?"

"For my father, I will accept."

Micaiah took his blade, which was heavy for her, and she knighted him. "Arise Sir…"

"Maximillian."

"Maximillian, rise, and serve your country well."

"I hope you do likewise Lady Micaiah." Maximillian arose, bowed again, and strode out of the room. Micaiah hoped that the young man would not die like his father, like all of the other Daein generals, like their king.

* * *

The army was marching. It was moving as a large body, winding across the snowy Daein countryside. It was a mixed body, composed of nobles and ex-slaves, generals and volunteer soldiers, men and women, beorc and laguz, knight and knave. It marched as a whole body. As a whole, it was charismatic. At its head was the legend, the man himself, Ike, who drove the army onwards with his determination, discipline, and drive. He was a mercenary, a noble, a commoner, a member of high society. He could connect with everyone. He was born in Gallia, his fatherland was Daein, and he lived in Crimea. He won the respect of kings and queens across Tellius. He had his enemies, but all but one were too afraid to stand up to his blade. The Black Knight disappeared off of Tellius, as if he had died, but he was alive, with dents from the holy sword Ragnell running across his armor. Ike walked at the head of the column.

Following behind him were the renowned Greil Mercenaries, headed by Soren, who was still clutching battle plans and maps, as he tried to find a way south out of Daein that avoided Tor Garen. Boyd was adamantly refusing any form of jacket, while Mist was not going let net icicles dangle from his nose. Oscar sighed and rode along quietly. Shinon was walking on a crutch, cursing every step of the way. Rolf shivered listening to his mentor, and looked ahead for help.

The Begnion soldiers looked up to Ike, as their beloved General Zelgius was nowhere to be found. They followed him as if he were Zelgius. The Crimeans followed their blue haired countryman, and they rallied at the call of Kieran, who was general in place of Geoffrey. The laguz even took to Ike. He was a Gallian, as he was born in Gallia, but he was a beorc. The army did function as a unit, a large family, ready to fight and die for each other.

* * *

The morning went by with a flash. Micaiah could hardly remember eating meals, let alone being alone. All morning people rushed to and fro about Nox, conveying enemy positions, orders, and other unnecessary information. Overloaded, Micaiah collapsed on the throne. She couldn't focus, but she could tell that people were rushing about the fortress. She was so tired, that she fell asleep, though softly, so that she could feel someone carry her into a carriage. She woke up in the Tor Garen forward camp. Soldiers were blocking off the area, as the Apostle's Army was coming, and they had to stop them. So Micaiah yawned, and headed out to the field to prepare for battle. A battle that would end with a red tailed arrow.

* * *

_There we go. Marching towards the next battle. Like I said, next will be a small intro, a little thing I have planned to make up for my absence. Enjoy. _

_Review please. That's my motivation. _

_So, I hope that answered the hooded-Daein dude question. _

_Also, there was a question as to whether this was a IkexMicaiah or a MicaiahxSothe. You'll have to wait and see. But, it_ is_ a tragedy..._


	6. Act Six: To Catch an Arrow

Sorry, its a short one, as my computer killed itself due to viruses, and I lost what I had... so this is a small teaser, with humour and Shinon swearing.

NOTE: SEE THE BOTTOM FOR IMPORTANT NOTE.

I Don't own Fire Emblem.

* * *

It was a beautiful day in Tor Garen. There was not a cloud to been seen in the sky, and the sun poured forth its brilliance into the land. Birds were singing happy notes, winter rabbits donned their fur coats, and life was peaceful. Order abounded, and nature was at its best. Brooks were babbling, birds were singing, and animals came out for the first time since autumn. A herd of deer emerged from the thick forest area. They hunted about for any vegetation peeking out of the snow and permafrost. Rabbits were out too, scurrying across the plain.

Then, a wolf jumped from a log, and ran at the alpha male buck, and leapt into the air. An arrow, an agent of chaos, slammed into its side and the wolf crumpled to the ground and stained the land red. The herd of deer scattered. "Damn it Rolf! That deer was supposed to be dinner!" yelled Shinon furiously. Rolf quivered in his fur lined boots. "Watch a master work the noble art of hunting, pee-wee." Shinon notched an arrow, and waited. Another buck emerged, and Shinon took aim, not wanting to lose sight of dinner. He tensed, but his weight shifted to his injured leg, and he let out a howl as the arrow flew clear over the small hill across from where the hunters laid in waiting. Rolf could not stop laughing his head off, while Shinon swore and Gatrie shook his head.

Then, the ground began to shake as chaos burst forth from the valley. The trio looked up to see ebon armor clad soldiers pouring out from the other side of the hill. Their commander, running at the head of the mob, waved his sword in one hand while Shinon's arrow was protruding from his other hand. He waved and screamed like a man possessed, and the Daein soldiers advanced across the plain destroying the picture-esque landscape. Gatrie picked up Shinon, and the trio ran off towards camp.

Shinon had just started a battle singled handedly, and the bloodshed would soon dye the land blood red.

* * *

NEXT WILL BE THE BIG FIGHT. WITH LOTS OF CHARACTER DEATH. I'VE DECIDED ON THE MICAIAHxSOMEONE NOW. SET IN STONE.

Okay. I should be working on this now, as my computer is back from the shop.

Note: I will finish this, though not in my original timeline. Sorry.

And, I'm open to suggestions for my next FE:RD fic. I plan on having it span the entire game, but not neccessarily chapter intervals. Basically, it will be more Daein bashing, and more fun.

Later.


	7. Act Seven: Chaos Boils Over

AHHH! Don't kill me! Its war, there's lots of character death. Please don't get [too] angry.

Somehow, the song _Indestructible_ by Disturbed crept into my head while writing the Kieran part. That's because Kieran is uber-sweet like that.

AND, I have another fic issue I need help with [see bottom AFTER READING].

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Fire Emblem.

* * *

Soren held his head in his hands. Why did everything go wrong? Shinon was a jerk and started the whole battle, Skrimir just had to charge out into a hail of arrow fire and turn half of his brigade into stuffed pincushions. If there ever was a bigger blockhead than Skrimir, Soren didn't want to meet him. Then the Greil Mercenaries took to the field. They got themselves surrounded. The only thing that was saving them was Ike and Ragnell. Then there was Shinon, again. Soren slammed his fist down on the oak table. "WHY DOES HE HAVE TO BE SO STUPID?" Soren yelled aloud. Shinon got an Aqqar from some Daein general, and he decided to risk it all and charge straight through the enemy lines by himself. It was a great idea; even Soren was shocked by Shinon's cleverness. That is, until the Aqqar ran out of bolts. Then Shinon was stuck in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by Daeins, and Prince Goldoa. The rest of Ike's forces diverted themselves to dig the Greil Mercenaries out of their entanglement, which caused Tibarn and his hawks to have to advance alone. Soren had a huge headache; all of the chaos seemed to weigh him down. He cursed his laguz blood, and his natural attunement to the balance of chaos and order.

* * *

Micaiah held her head in her hands. Everything had been going so well, until that idiot cripple with the red ponytail broke through the Daein ranks. He managed to shoot his way through the ranks and he managed to tick off Prince Kurthnaga. The Gallians were on her right flank, the hawks on her left, and Ike in the middle. Well, Ike and the rest of his mercenaries. The battle started well. They were able to trap the Gallians and shoot them full of arrows and bolts. Then the mercenaries took to the field. Kurthnaga was a blessing for the Daein army, as he was huge, strong, and could quite literally blow away anything that approached his position. But the chaos in the air clouded her judgment, and she could not think clearly. She looked up to see two wyverns fighting her Daein wyvern detachment. One of them was a man in his early thirties, who wore an eye patch, and the other was a girl with red hair. Micaiah clearly identified her as Jill, and decided to not smite the duo against the mountainside with her purge tome.

* * *

Ike wandered the field, and saw Brom dead in a heap of Daein corpses. He was holding a light pink rock in his hand, which was resting atop his heart. He looked as though he finally found peace. Nephenee walked up to Ike and stopped. "That one is his daughter's. She died at the Battle for Nox." Ike nodded. "I'll bear the bad news. We live in the same village."

"Don't get in over your head Nephenee. Go back and take a breather." The country girl nodded and returned to the rear. The battle was getting ugly and personal fast.

The Crimean detachment was no better off. They were fighting in a narrow valley. Kieran was dizzy, and he looked around for someone to help. He saw several archers advancing towards the Queen's position, and several warriors armed with crossbows advancing towards Marcia's position. "Damn it! Being torn between duty and love is too hard of a decision to make." Kieran swore. "What would Geoffrey do?" Then he thought of Geoffrey and his commander's obvious personal bias. "Okay, so Geoffrey isn't always the best role model, as there is no real dilemma for him. What's the third way out?" Then he looked down. He was wearing red armor. He was the top Crimean Officer here. He found the third way out. Spinning his axe around his head, he advanced and swore and screamed bloody murder at the top of his lungs. He was advancing towards the Daein high command, and he was riding straight towards the silver haired maiden. Within a few seconds, arrows and bolts were flying at him from all sides. Ushering his horse onwards, he was seemingly indestructible. Bolts and arrows bounced off of his shield, and he was still moving at a gallop. Then the black dragon at the entrance to the Daein camp roared and blew Kieran and his steed through the air. They landed on a rocky outcropping and he laid his head down on the rock, as he was unable to move. He was losing consciousness fast, and blood began covering his vision. The last thing he recalled hearing was the frantic flapping of Pegasus wings, and a familiar female voice calling his name.

Boyd and Mist wandered the battle together, having been separated from the rest of the group. They walked around a copse of trees, to see, to their horror, Ilyana being shot in the chest. She crumpled to the ground. They ran to her, and while Boyd watched over the surrounding area, she tried to heal her, but it was to no avail. They were joined by a third person, as Boyd recognized him as an old friend. Zihark fell to the ground at Ilyana's feet. Zihark was missing an arm and a good chuck of torso where his arm used to be. He took Ilyana's hand, and she smiled for the last time before dying in his grasp. He then, having lost everything, crumpled to the ground next to her and died. Mist was crying, having seen two of her dear friends die on her. Boyd came over and embraced her. "Don't worry Mist. You can't get rid of me so easily. I'm here to stay." Mist cried into his shirt, and they were undisturbed in their mourning.

Ranulf surveyed the casualties in the Gallian command. Skrimir's rush of bravery had brought death to many a Gallian, but it had actually saved the rest of the army from the Daein advance. He walked through the snow, and saw Lethe and Lyre together by an old friend. They were crying. Ranulf was shocked to see them crying, especially Lethe, but he was appalled to see Mordecai dead. Lethe ran over to him and clutched him tightly against herself. "Don't you die on me Ranulf. I couldn't bear it." Lethe said through tears.

"Sis was trying to help me, as I was cut up pretty badly, when a platoon of Daein archers came at us. Mordecai saw them before we did, and he had eclipsed us and he took the arrows himself." Lyre said still trembling. Kyza walked over and saluted, but was hugged by Lyre in a death grip. He looked at Ranulf, but Ranulf only nodded his head.

Elincia saw the archers advancing towards her and could do nothing, as she was fighting a Daein Wyvern rider. Suddenly they all turned away, as Kieran rode through the Daein lines like a fireball. "Go after him Marcia!" Elincia yelled to her fellow Pegasus rider, before turning her attention to the archers. After dispatching them, she turned to see Danved fighting the warriors who had been aiming at Marcia. He slew them all, but he also died of his wounds. Elincia was alone in the field. How she missed Geoffrey then. He was always at her side, and she missed him now when he wasn't there. She realized inside her that she truly did love him, and she found a renewed vigor in that comfort, and she flew off towards central headquarters, where Soren was viciously scribbling out orders and battle plans.

Shinon turned around to see a yellow tailed arrow fly by his head, and embed itself in a tree. Pushing the pain in his shin behind him, he notched an arrow and fired at the Daein sniper across the field. He was less skilled than Shinon, but he did not have a broken shinbone. He looked at the blonde archer with a certain rage. Shinon notched bolt after bolt to his crossbow, yet he never seemed to hit the blonde Daein archer. Shinon hurled the useless crossbow to the ground and selected his Silencer. He notched an arrow and fired at the younger man. It missed the sniper, but killed a Daein Sage behind him. Shinon felt another arrow whiz by his head. They were flying too close for comfort. He needed to even out the playing field. He then saw an advantage. Mounted not too far away from the sniper was a certain paladin Shinon remembered from the battle at Nox. Smiling he shot at her, and the arrow hit her steed, causing the girl to fall from her horse. The blonde sniper turned his attention to the fallen paladin, and Shinon made his move. He ran, or hobbled across the plain and signaled to Rolf and Gatrie. The three of them surrounded the Daein duo. "I remember you. I shot at you last battle. You make a pretty good target." Shinon said mockingly. The blonde sniper looked furious. "Don't let it get to you. No hard feelings. It's only war." Leonardo didn't seem convinced. "Be that way. I've got a Daein general to shoot down." Fiona's eyes widened.

"Please don't kill her! She's everything to Daein." Fiona begged.

"King Ramon and his wife were everything to Crimea." Fiona was silent. "Hey, no hard feelings. It's only war." Shinon turned to Gatrie and Rolf. "Watch these two. I don't want junior here shooting me in the back in a few moments." Shinon then turned at walked over to Ike.

Shinon looked to Ike for approval. Ike nodded hesitantly. Shinon notched an arrow to his bowstring. "One clean motion, no hesitation." He trained his sights on the silver haired maiden and fired. The red tipped arrow flew straight and true, and it embedded itself in Daein flesh and blood.

* * *

Sorry, cliffhanger! I just had to do it. I was going to have it [the arrow] kill, but I figured that it would be better storytelling to make you all wait until next time. Though doing this just added another chapter to the fic.

So, if anyone:

1) actually reads these things

2) actually cares enough to help me out

They can help me decide which game to write for next. I have a big revolution-esque fic I'm prepping to write, but I don't know which game to do it for. I'm either doing it for Sacred Stones, or an after Radiant Dawn one. Since I hate polls, [due to low turnout], if you care enough you can let me know. Sacred Stones wolud be cool, as they ned a good rebellion, but I actually like Radiant Dawn better.

If I don't get any/enough replies, I'll just flip a coin. [Pure, unbiased, fair. ~ Harvey Dent]

Until next time...


	8. Act Eight: Pincushions

_A final post-battle update. It's short, but that's because there isn't much left until the final chapter._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem._

_

* * *

__Shinon looked to Ike for approval. Ike nodded hesitantly. Shinon notched an arrow to his bowstring. "One clean motion, no hesitation." He trained his sights on the silver haired maiden and fired. The red tipped arrow flew straight and true, and it embedded itself in Daein flesh and blood._

Said red arrow stopped and lodged itself in the throat of a young rogue. Running out from nowhere, he had time enough to shield the one he loved from an untimely death. He swayed in the air, like a feather, before crashing down onto the snow, dying it crimson red. Micaiah was shocked too see him, and even more so to see him dead. She and Leonardo were the only members of the original Dawn Brigade left. Daein and its nationalistic movement had been put down. Crimea and the laguz alliance had once again defeated and humbled Daein. Sothe paid for his love with his life, but he had known that this would happen from the moment he threw the knife that killed King Pelleas.

"Shinon! I didn't know that your provoke skill could start a whole battle you jerk! Anyway, at least it's over." Soren took to the field and surveyed the damage. He strode about with Ike taking roll call and writing up a list of the dead: Brom, Ilyana, Zihark, Mordecai, Danved, and countless soldiers from both sides all died. Kieran was in the field hospital. Marcia was at his side, as countless surgeons and doctors ripped and pulled arrows from his body. Ever the patriot, at the removal of each one he yelled out "For Crimea!" in his agony. Once he was no longed a human pincushion, Marcia did not leave his side, and they were together the whole night. Elincia could not be comforted. Not knowing whether Geoffrey was safe back in Melior, she was quite restless and disconcerted, pacing her quarters with tears gracing her pink cheeks. Unbeknownst to her, Geoffrey and Bastian set out from Melior galloping as fast as man and beast could travel the countryside, racing for their Queen.

The field was unnaturally calm and tranquil, only to be pierced by an unearthly blast of pure energy. Outside the fort, there was silence. Ike left to survey the field. No one was left mobile. Everyone outside the fort was stone statues, frozen in ordered battle poses and positions.

Ike found Micaiah standing out there alone on the ramparts of the castle. Snow was falling gently, and Ike could tell that she was shivering. He removed his cape and wrapped it around her small figure. She clutched it against her frame, and quietly said, "Thank you."

They stood motionless and speechless for awhile. At length, Ike spoke up. "I'm sorry about Sothe."

"He was a traitor. If we had caught him he would have been executed."

"But you loved him did you not?"

"Not I. He loved me; I could not return his favor. I tried to bring him back, to save him from his fate, but I was too late."

Silence descended back over the field. Micaiah looked up at Ike, and admired him as he traced the landscape with his eyes. "I came through here three years ago, from the opposite direction. We came to invade Daein and return to Crimea. Now we have invaded Daein o our way to Begnion."

"Ike, may my troops travel with you?"

"Of course. We are all one army now. Every nation is fighting the Begnion Senate now. They don't stand a chance now." The two figures turned and headed back to camp, prepared for another lengthy campaign.

* * *

_Alright. The next chapter is the **last** chapter. I hope you have enjoyed the fight thus far. I'll proofread the final chapter and [should] have it up tomorrow. Thank you all. _

_And my next FE project [after the GS one] is either going to be:_

_A Tower of Guidance one which_ _will be fighting and pairings galore!_

_Or a big sequel-ish thing to FE:RD where I go all political and have a great time inciting rebellions, wars, etc. _

_I guess I'll let you all influence me. Chances are I'll do both, but someone needs to help me decide which to do first! I personally think that the Tower of Guidance one would be quicker. _

_Once again, review and sorry for the shorter update. I'll have the next chapter up tomorrow [hopefully]..._


	9. Epilogue: Reclamation

_And finally, the final act in the Tragedy of Nox. After countless hours of burning the midnight oil, and losing sleep, I have finished my first 'grand' FE fic. I hope all of you have enjoyed the ride. I did. _

_Well, I'll let you all read it, and I'll conclude any loose ends at the end._

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

* * *

Micaiah sat upon her throne looking out over Nevassa and the country she gave up a dream to protect. She sat with her husband, King Daein, and oversaw the country's wellbeing for the past thirteen years. He was truly a monarch, and he had no problem with changing how the country was run. The new Daein government had consolidated its power into the central government.

The positions of the Four Riders of Daein were filled.

Shinon finally had a job that he could live with. The military life gave him the chance to yell, swear, and act superior, as he was subject only to two people, their Highnesses.

Maximillian was left as a rider, at the request of Micaiah. Her husband reluctantly agreed.

Gatrie also filled a post, but was often skirt chasing.

Aran was granted the final seat, as none of the other Greil Mercenaries would move to Daein.

Its king had replaced all of the existing nobles, who were still alive, with foreigners and soldiers of fortune to keep the nobles from relating to the citizenry. In such a manner, Fiona had lost her peerage.

_Fiona and her fiancé Leonardo were standing in front of Micaiah before they left the country._

_"Queen Micaiah, Leonardo and I are moving to Crimea. Queen Elincia has granted Leonardo a position there, and we plan on taking it." Fiona and Micaiah embrace, while silent tears ran down their faces. _

_"Leonardo, you take good care of Fiona now. I'll try and come over for the wedding, as you are Daein nationals."_

_"You know I will." And Micaiah gave Leonardo a hug too, before the duo turned and left for a new life together in Crimea._

Micaiah was sitting on her bejeweled throne, next to her husband, and she thought about how she came to be so unhappy. Pelleas would have been a better husband. At least he loved her; she could feign loving him back. Sothe loved her, but she did not love him. And there was her current husband. There was no love there. He did not love her, she did not love him. It was a political marriage, to restore the Daein monarchy.

Then there was Ike. Ike, the hero of Tellius, the Hero of the Blue Flames, the strongest beorc alive, the defeater of Ashera, was single. She was in love with him. But he had walked off Tellius into legend, after seeing his sister married off. He picked up his sword and walked off, and out of her life into the swirling and shifting desert sands of Hatari. But she kept a part of him with her, and she would not let that part of him out of her sight until she died.

Mist and Boyd were married in Melior. That was the last time anyone outside of Daein saw Ike. He walked her down the aisle, gave his congratulations to the happy couple, and walked to the east. Mia and Rhys moved to Melior, and they wed too. Rhys was the royal tutor to the royal family, as Queen Elincia wed her childhood sweetheart Geoffrey not soon after the war ended. Titania was still a mercenary in the Crimean countryside. Rolf and Oscar moved to Melior too. Oscar was a royal chef, and Rolf joined the army. Kieran became the commander of the Crimean Royal Guards, and he took Marcia as his wife.

He asked her. He asked her to come with him; to go out into the world and explore the goddess' green earth. She considered it. Her heart told her to say yes. But her duty to the people of Daein kept her in Nevassa, and he left without her, heartbroken. He left, with no intent to return. He was a legend, and legends cannot grow old and die. They live on forever, since there is no tombstone for a legend.

The Daein King and Queen sat on their thrones, and were awaiting an ambassador when their daughter ran in. She was petite, and had her mother's silver hair flowing behind her in long tresses. She was thirteen, as was her twin brother.

"Mommy, Daddy, may I go out riding my pony in the streets? General Aran and his wife Lady Laura will accompany me." She asked with huge shining eyes, and her mother could never refuse her.

"But of course you can. Just don't wear out Aran." Micaiah said, as her daughter bolted out towards the courtyard.

"You spoil her too much." said her husband dryly.

She turned to her husband, and replied, "And you don't love your own daughter Soren."

King Soren of Daein rolled his eyes but he initially said nothing. "I'm dying Micaiah. The doctors gave me two weeks since the cough started."

"Two weeks?" Micaiah gasped. "When did this start?"

"Oh about… two weeks ago." Soren pulled out his handkerchief and coughed into it. Micaiah clearly saw that it was covered in blood. "Don't worry for me. You don't love me."

Micaiah didn't say anything. Only Soren's coughing could be heard in the silent halls of stone. Then, the guards snapped to attention, and two men walked in. One was the crown prince Daein, who was average height for his age of thirteen, had blue hair, and slight build. He was in awe of the larger man.

The second man was the same height and relative same build as when he left. His leg muscles were larger, as he had trekked across the earth and back. He had a small blue goatee growing on his chin, and he looked no worse for wear. He was about thirty four, and in the prime of his life. He advanced to the middle of the room, stopped shortly behind the prince, and bowed to the Daein royalty.

"Ike." Soren said in shock; Micaiah was too speechless to speak.

"Mother, Father, look who saved me earlier!" The Daein Prince strode into the room. He was as old as his twin sister, yet he had long blue hair, not his father's black hair. "I left the room against your wishes, and I wandered the streets. Nevassa is so big and friendly father, why don't you let me out more often?" Soren looked irritated. "Anyway, I was walking down an ally when a group of thieves jumped me. I was able to stab one of them, but there were too many, until this man ran out and cut them all down like flowers! Who is this man? He looks just like me!" At this remark Micaiah blushed. "I want him to be my tutor! Appoint him to the riders father!" Their son looked at Ike with a swell of pride. He then ran out to search for his sister, who entered the stable.

The three adults looked around at each other. Suddenly, all of the pieces fit together. Soren spoke up first. "It's no wonder why you were so unhesitant when you asked me to come back to Daein. Putting us together, the legitimate heir and the people's maiden of dawn, was the best political move ever. And you even duped the public! Our children are not mine. They are yours… and Ike's aren't they?"

"How long have you known?" Micaiah asked trembling.

"Since I never slept with you it was rather obvious no? And besides, neither of us have blue hair. It would have been a scandal to let our son roam the streets saying that he's my son." In his agitation, Soren had another spasm, and he coughed up a pool of blood onto the floor. "It doesn't matter. I won't be the same tomorrow; I'll be a grave man." He turned to Ike, his former best friend. "Look out for my… no your family for me Ike. Watch over Daein." Soren then rose and walked off towards his room, where the doctors would care for him until he passed away.

"It's been awhile Micaiah. Thirteen years to the day." Ike said.

"Yes, it will be the twin's birthdays in two months…" Micaiah trailed off.

_It was raining lightly, as the sun lowered itself from its high position in the sky. Micaiah was strolling about the Daein courtyard, outside her room. The remaining nobles, generals, and a number of foreign dignitaries sat around in a closer conference room and debated who to put on the throne of Daein, as Pelleas was dead. Micaiah was staring out into the Daein lands, until she left a hand upon her shoulder._

"_I'm leaving now Micaiah." a deep voice said._

"_I know. You told everyone that this day would come. Then why do I feel so sad?" Micaiah responded._

"_Would it be because you love me?"_

"_I'm not supposed to love you. You are an enemy of Daein, as you invaded it twice." The strong hand spun her around to face him. Ike was standing there, with her outside her room, and she had a large pack on the ground by the door. _

"_I know that you shouldn't love me. But do you anyway?" he insisted._

"_It would be a lie to deny what I feel for you Sir Ike-" he then leant down and placed his lips on hers, and they lingered there for a moment, as if to tease her._

"_Ike, I-I" Micaiah stuttered._

"_Come with me Micaiah. Leave with me. You love me, I can tell. I don't need you to say it, when your body says it for you. Come away with me."_

"_Ike, I love you. I do, and I want to go with you. But the people need me. I'll be chosen as Queen, I foresaw it. I foresaw you leaving, and returning."_

"_If I leave I'm not coming back Micaiah." Ike stated._

"_I can't leave Daein Ike, I'm sorry." _

"_Don't be. Everyone has a line that they can't cross. You found yours today."_

"_Have you found yours?"_

"_I can't know it, or I'll know my only weakness." Ike said, smiling sadly._

_Micaiah kissed him and she wrapped her arms around him as he wrapped his arms around her. After a few moments of shared euphoria, they went into her room, driven by love and longing._

_Micaiah woke up the next morning. She pulled back the covers and stretched her arms. It was cloudy outside, with imminent rain showers. The previous night came crashing down on her, and she looked to her side, but he was long gone. He left a simple note reading, 'If I leave I'm not coming back. You made your choice, and I mine,' said Ike. Micaiah burst into tears, as she cried into her sheets, her shirt, and her sliver hair. The dark cloud broke and rain began falling upon the city of Nevassa, as her tears fell upon her bed. She had a vision of her married to Ike, and their two children playing outside. But it was a fallacy. She did not have Ike but she was certain that she bore his children._

"I'm sorry Micaiah. I was young, and in love. I should have had better control of myself. Forgive me. I seem to have caused your husband much distress by coming back." Ike said somewhat bashfully.

Micaiah walked down the few steps which elevated the throne from the landing. She took his hands into hers. "No Ike, it is my fault as much as it was yours. But it isn't truly bad. Look at them! They are so full of life! What we did was a sin yes, but now we are together again. Be the father that they never had. Be the husband I never had, be the man I love." Micaiah said.

"I'll stay here. I have my father's legacy to carry out. I'll serve as a rider, until Soren dies, and then you may need to find a new husband. But until then, stay with Soren, as he is your husband." Micaiah stood on her tiptoes to try to kiss Ike, but he backed away. "Not now. Go to Soren." Ike about-faced and left for the courtyard. Micaiah followed Soren into his room. He was lying in bed, looking out of the window at 'his' two children. Micaiah sat down at the edge of the bed.

"Soren I'm sorry." Soren didn't move. "Soren, before you go, I just wanted to know that there was a reason that I picked you over every other suitor around. There was a reason that I picked you, and it was not because you were the late Ashnard's son. It was because I cared for you. I knew that you are a branded, as am I, and that you have never really been loved. So, I chose you because I thought that since we would both live for a long time that you wouldn't be so bitter if you had someone to love. And the twins love you as a father. They don't know about Ike. They love you Soren." Soren rolled over to look at her, and he looked tired beyond words.

"Micaiah, there was a reason that I accepted your offer. I could have gone anywhere and been a tactician. I could have gone to my motherland. I could have gone to the Grann Desert. I could have followed Ike. But, I stayed here, to be with you. You had lost everything. Pelleas, Sothe, and Ike had all left you, and I knew that you would need help. And, quite frankly, I needed help. I soaked up your love, every moment that you were with me. Now as I lay dying, I see what was so important to me after all. You are like me, branded, unloved, and I saw a kindred spirit in you. I didn't want to lose that feeling of finally belonging, and nothing made me happier than seeing a fellow branded laughing and enjoying life, living amongst ordinary people, and ruling over them."

The both of them were in tears. "So this is why Micaiah, I'm leaving Daein to you, as I am the king and you are my wife. Since I have no heir, your child will be king after me, but the public will see him as my son. Does this suit you?" Micaiah nodded. "Now, go. I don't want you to see me die. At sundown, tell the doctors that I have died."

"I will. And Soren, thank you."

Micaiah left his room, and he lay there alone. About an hour later, his daughter and son came in and said their goodbyes. He never felt so loved and it felt good. He died with a genuine smile on his face. Outside the window Micaiah and Ike joined their children. "Mother, this man looks just like my brother, is he our uncle?"

Micaiah shook her head. "No darling… he is your father."

Dusk descended down on Nevassa. Queen Micaiah led her family inside the keep.

She looked up at her daughter, who was riding on her father's back.

Micaiah walked hand in hand with Ike.

Her son was next to his father, soaking in every detail of his countenance, his bearing, and his strength.

One day he would be as great of a man as his father, but that is for another tale; our current story has turned its final page.

* * *

Alright.

I don't really have any special thanks for anyone here. Well, HellfireSupremacy gave me the idea of the provoke skill seen in chapter 8. Huzzah for him.

My next project is my new Golden sun fic. After that, and maybe at the same time will be my rendition of the Tower of Guidance.

If anyone wants to give their bias on pairings or the like, feel free. However, soem are in stone, like GeoffreyxElincia, so don't even try to change my mind.

Once again, thank you, review, and happy holidays.

I'm out.


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